Final Fantasy XIII
Final Fantasy XIII is a roleplaying game developed by Square Enix. Events Chapter 1 Defiers of Fate Lightning and Sazh are held aboard a military 'Purge' train along with a group of civilians destined for exile. In stark contrast to the uncertain and despairing people around her, Lightning appears determined and focused. She seizes upon an instant of inattention to disable a guard, and her impressive display inspires Sazh and the other civilians to take up arms against the soldiers. After clashing with army forces, the train crashes to a halt in the war-torn district known as the Hanging Edge. Sazh attempts to figure out Lightning's angle, but she shows little desire to share. The former soldier throws herself into battle without the slightest hint of hesitation—what could be driving her...? Fields of War Suspect citizens of Cocoon are wrenched from their tranquil existence and threatened with exile to the world of Pulse. The Purge has begun. The 'land below' is said to crawl with unknown perils, and terrified civilians begin to rebel against the Purge. A revolt also occurs on the train transporting Purge deportees, as Lightning's battle against the guards galvanizes the other prisoners into action. The train comes to a halt in the district of the Hanging Edge—now a hellish war zone where soldiers open fire indiscriminately upon civilians. Lightning makes her way through the middle of the conflict, all but ignoring her uninvited companion, Sazh. She seems determined to press onwards even when the path before her is destroyed by military strikes. Another Rebellion The peaceful citizens of Cocoon live in constant fear of invasion by the forces of Pulse—the world below and supposed home of terrors unknown. Were even a single Pulsian agent to be discovered on Cocoon, panic and civil unrest would be sure to follow, threatening the very fabric of society. To prevent such a calamity, the Sanctum (Cocoon's governing body) initiates the 'Purge'—a government initiative officially entailing the deportation of all those who may have come into contact with corrupting Pulsian influences. However, the Sanctum army is now brutally slaughtering the civilians they were supposed to be deporting. Realizing that the Purge is nothing more than a massacre in disguise, Snow leads the young freedom fighters of NORA in an effort to protect the Purge 'deportees' from the Sanctum soldiers. The Warpath Home The Purge is a Sanctum initiative designed to protect the stability of Cocoon by forcing potentially dangerous civilians to relocate to Pulse. However, the relocation is simply a facade to cover the massacre that ensues. The government's true goal is the brutal extermination of all possible threats to a peaceful society. Having discovered the horrific truth, Snow leads the members of NORA against the government soldiers of PSICOM. Inspired by the actions of this handful of brave young men and women, the beleaguered civilians take heart and join the battle in hope of returning to a normal life. Among the citizens who stand against the forces of PSICOM is a mother who wishes for nothing more than to protect her son. Fallen Innocence Cocoon's citizens have always been terrified of Pulse and the mysterious horrors that are said to stalk its hostile wastelands. Their fear is so great that if a Cocoon native were to have even the briefest contact with Pulsian elements, former friends and neighbors would consider them corrupted and dangerous. In light of this fact, the Sanctum orders the Purging of Bodhum in an effort to remove all potentially Pulse-tainted civilians. Accordingly, soldiers round up all those identified as candidates for relocation and inform them of their impending exile. However, PSICOM, the elite arm of the Sanctum military, then begins to massacre the helpless civilians. This prompts Snow to lead the people in a rebellion against the army. Tragically, one of the civilians who decides to follow him, hoping to protect her son, dies in the act of saving Snow's life. From afar, the boy witnesses the moment of his mother's death in shock and disbelief. The Fal'Cie Awaits A massive object is transported through the sky over the Hanging Edge. This object is a Pulse Vestige—a lowerworld artifact that had been nothing more than a Bodhum landmark. Two days ago, it was discovered that the Vestige housed a long dormant Pulse fal'Cie. The fal'Cie had slumbered undisturbed on the outskirts of a Cocoon city for centuries. The Sanctum decrees that the presence of the Pulse entity and its corrupting magics have tainted the entire population of the city, and orders the Purge. For different reasons, Lighting and Sazh now make their way towards the very being that was the catalyst for so much tragedy. Snow, meanwhile, is crushed by feelings of guilt after many die under his command. He only emerges from his gloom when Gadot reminds him that the fal'Cie is holding a certain young lady captive—who needs her hero now more than ever. Into the Vestige Snow still canot shake his feelings of guilt. Despite his efforts to protect the Purge deportees from the Sanctum forces, many have fallen. The death of one woman in particular haunts his thoughts: a mother fighting for the sake of her son, who gave her life to save Snow. In the moments before her death, the woman begged the leader of NORA to take care of her child, but slipped from Snow's grasp without revealing the boy's identity. With Gadot's help, Snow breaks out of his depression. He figures that if he just goes ahead and protects everyone, then the woman's son will be saved as well. After checking to see if the children are safe, Snow leaves the waning battle of his fellow NORA members and sets off with new determination towards the Vestige. His fiancée is still held captive by the Pulse fal'Cie. A boy watches him leave, eyes filled with rage and loathing. To his grief-stricken mind, Snow is responsible for his mother's death. Fates Intertwined For centuries, a Pulse fal'Cie has slumbered undisturbed on the outskirts of a Cocoon city. On the day the lowerworld entity is finally discovered, Cocoon's peaceful society is plunged into chaos. The government judges the city's inhabitants to have been tainted by their unwelcome guest, and begins a merciless campaign to expunge both the fal'Cie and the 'corrupted' citizenry from the face of Cocoon. Instead of the exile they were led to expect, the civilians face extermination at the hands of the Sanctum army. The people attempt to fight back, but are hopelessly outmatched by the military. Lightning cuts her way through this battlefield, doggedly followed by the desperate Sazh. Snow, meanwhile, seeks to rescue his fiancée. ...And a boy spurred on my dreams of revenge pursues Snow with the help of an unusual young lady. Though driven by separate goals, their paths all lead to the same end: the Pulse fal'Cie. Chapter 2 In Pursuit of Snow Hope has fallen into a panic. In his single-minded pursuit of Snow, he has rushed into the lair of a fal'Cie and is only now recalling the terrible nature of the being that lurks within. The Pulse entity could use its power to curse them—to turn them into l'Cie. Pulse l'Cie are the doomed servants of the fal'Cie who created them, despised and feared by the people of Cocoon. Hope's companion, Vanille, seems unconcerned by this dreadful possibility. Bemused by her indomitable cheerfulness, he nervously follows her in search of Snow. It was Snow who convinced his mother to fight. It was Snow she was protecting when she died. And it is Snow who must be made to pay. Where Men Fear to Tread To the citizens of Cocoon, the lowerworld of Pulse is a hell rife with unknown terrors, and the recently discovered Pulse fal'Cie is an invader from that hell. In an effort to quell the growing panic in the wake of the entity's discovery, the Sanctum initiates an extreme measure known as the Purge. Under this initiative, not only is the fal'Cie to be cast out of Cocoon, but all of the civilians living nearby as well. Any person coming into contact with the lowerworld being's foul energies could already be corrupted, and no potential enemies of Cocoon can be allowed to remain. The ensuing 'deportation' claims the lives of countless civilians, Hope's mother among them. After witnessing her death and chasing Snow into the Vestige in a blind rage, Hope suddenly realizes that he may soon share the same fate as the Pulse fal'Cie: relocation to the world below. Vanille, however, calmly accepts the situation, and lends her support to the distraught boy. Unaware of his young pursuers, Snow begins exploring the arcane halls and chambers of the shrine-like Vestige in search of his captive fiancée, Serah. Open Doors Beckon The Pulse fal'Cie—an entity that threatens the peace of Cocoon's society—holds Snow's fiancée captive. As the determined Snow delves ever deeper in the alien structure, Lightning and Sazh arrive at the Vestige after fighting their way through waves of Sanctum forces. The unlikely duo's progress is halted by an impassable gate, which finally opens as if in response to Lightning's whispered words of apology. Did her plea reach the mind of the fal'Cie? Or was another being responsible for opening the portal? Sazh follows the ex-soldier into the Vestige, bemused by the lack of explanation, but driven on nonetheless by a purpose he has yet to reveal. In the Shadow of L'Cie Military 'weapons' stalk the halls of the Vestige... Though the PSICOM recon team that uncovered the lowerworld being two days previous is still trapped inside, Lightning and Sazh know that the real threat is not a part of the Sanctum army, but the Pulse fal'Cie and its servant l'Cie. Pulse l'Cie are former humans who have become agents of destruction. Those residents living near the Vestige face being Purged simply because of their proximity to the fal'Cie and the possibility that its power has bound them into servitude. With tales of l'Cie haunting his thoughts, Hope hears Snow's voice calling in the distance. Although he plans to confront Snow over his mother's death, the reality of the situation become too much for Hope to bear. He cannot go through with it. Not yet. Saving the Enemy Pulse l'Cie are cursed beings who wield supernatural power and whose very existence incites panic and destruction. Hope explodes into a rage upon hearing that Snow plans to rescue Serah, now a l'Cie herself. Even if she is Snow's fiancée, nothing good can come of helping a sworn enemy of Cocoon. The situation only serves to magnify Hope's hatred of the man he holds responsible for his mother's death. Shaking with fury, he is unable to form the words he so desperately wants to say. Oblivious to Hope's anger and worried for their safety, Snow decides to bring Hope and Vanille along on his mission. Meanwhile, Sazh explains the cruel fate of a person cursed as a l'Cie. L'Cie are bound in eternal service to a fal'Cie, and failure to carry out a Focus results in transformation into a mindless abomination—a Cie'th. A person shacked by the l'Cie curse is beyond salvation. As Sazh comes to this grim conclusion, Lightning angrily compares him to those who insisted on the Purge. She knows full well the doom that awaits a l'Cie, and will do anything in her power to save her sister from that fate. The Gift of Eternity A legend on Cocoon states that if l'Cie complete the Focus given by a fal'Cie, they turn into crystal and gain eternal life. And just as the legend describes, Serah, Lightning's younger sister and fiancée to Snow, glows with an incredible light and turns into crystal. But has she truly gained eternal life? And what Focus has she completed? This timeless crystal sleep seems nothing more than another form of death to Lightning, and she turns her feelings of grief and anger upon Snow. Snow, however refuses to give up hope of a future where Serah will return to him. Just then, the Sanctum army begins its assault on the Vestige. Though it may mean sharing the Vestige's imminent destruction, the group heads ever deeper into the complex. Snow seek to persuade the fal'Cie to release his fiancée, while Lightning and Sazh have other plans in mind... Pulsian Menace Snow pleads with the Pulse fal'Cie. He offers himself in Serah's place if it will release her from her fate. The fal'Cie remains silent. Seeing Snow's desperate pleas go unanswered Lightning and Sazh draw weapons on the lowerworld being. Even if the fal'Cie will soon be destroyed along with the entire Vestige, they have reasons to defeat it with their own hands. They work together to bring down the fal'Cie, and the Vestige now plummets towards the lake below. A final wave of power explodes from the dying fal'Cie, transforming the water and surrounding area into solid crystal. Lightning and the others do not witness this breathtaking event—they are drawn through a rift into a dimension where an immense, otherworldly presence awaits. Onto their bodies, it sears cursed brands; onto their minds, the vision of a beast destroying Cocoon. Swept along by unimaginable energies, the helpless companions are swallowed in a lightless void. As Snow drifts in the darkness, one memory fights to the surface of his consciousness... Bound in Darkness Lightning feels nothing but anger towards the Pulse fal'Cie. It had taken Serah and cursed her with a l'Cie's doomed existence. It is the underlying reason for the Purge. And it is an enemy to be cut down if she is to fulfill Serah's final request: to save Cocoon. Lightning's aggression provokes the fal'Cie into action, and it attacks her. Sazh draws his guns with grim resolve, and Snow joins the battle without hesitation. As they deal the killing blow to the master of the Vestige, a flash of light rends the air. They are pulled into a swirling void of chaos, where they are bound by an ominous and inexorable entity. Branded with arcane markings, the companions are then assaulted with the vision of a terrible beast tearing Cocoon apart. Soon after, the Vestige finally succumbs to the combined attacks of the Sanctum forces. In the midst of chaos, a memory surfaces from the depths of Snow's fading awareness: a marriage proposal made to his beloved Serah under a night sky lit with the colors of exploding fireworks. Can his wish for a happy future ever be granted now? Chapter 3 Branded After being caught in the destruction of the Vestige, the group awakens directly under the Hanging Edge on the expanse of a solidified Lake Bresha. An aftereffect of the energies released by the dying fal'Cie, the waters of the lake are now frozen in crystal splendor. Despite having survived a fall from an incredible height, the companions are unable to appreciate their luck as each one of them now bears a brand of alien design. The mark seared on their bodies signifies their servitude to a fal'Cie and the 'gift' of magical power. It is the brand of a cursed l'Cie. Worse, they must now complete their assigned Focus if they are to avoid becoming monstrous Cie'th, though none can say for sure what their mission actually entails. Their only clue is the vision they all witnessed of the great beast laying waste to Cocoon. Ragnarok. Though all signs point to a bleak and tragic destiny, Snow alone remains optimistic. Convince that his Focus is to grant Serah's wish and save Cocoon, he sets off full of confidence. A Vision Shared Now that they are Pulse l'Cie, Lightning and the others try to figure out what their Focus could be. The only thing they know for certain is that the rampaging beast Ragnarok is somehow involved. Snow is convinced that their Focus is to protect the world by defeating the beast. But one fact contradicts his belief: Pulse l'Cie are the hated enemies of Cocoon. A Pulse fal'Cie would never assign such a task to its servants. Lightning is infuriated by Snow's refusal to accept this logic. As she sees it, the fal'Cie not only made them into l'Cie, it also took her sister from her. The former soldier could never bring herself to meekly follow the orders of such a being, and Snow's apparent surrender to its will, however misinterpreted, is more than she can stand. As they trade heated words, Sanctum soldiers surround their location. Arguments will have to wait—for now, they must concentrate on surviving. Partings and Promises Is she dead, or merely sleeping? Serah, now a silent statue, is trapped in a crystal embrace. Lightning doesn't wish to leave her behind, but reluctantly says her farewells. The army is on their trail. If they stop to dig Serah free, their pursuers will certainly catch them. However, Snow is not ready to say good-bye. He elects to stay behind, protect Serah, and somehow fulfill her wish to save Cocoon. Knowing they cannot change his mind, Lightning and the others continue on their way. Hope drags himself away from Snow for what might be the final time—and the chance to say what he is burning to say is lost. Casting the Net Lightning and the others leave Snow behind with the crystallized Serah. As they continue their flight across the glassy expanse of Lake Bresha, the four companions spy a large contingent of Sanctum soldiers. In order to hunt down and exterminate the Purge fugitives, the government is mobilizing an inordinate number of troops. The excessive reaction is further proof of Cocoon's fear and hatred of Pulse. Even those who have barely come into contact with lowerworld elements cannot be permitted to exist. This all-consuming fear of some imagined corruption is the origin of the Purge. The entire population of a town was subjected to the Purge simply for living near the uncovered Pulse fal'Cie. It was Cocoon's citizens, in their terror, who allowed such an extreme policy to become reality—the government simply acted in response to the will of the people. And Eden, the fal'Cie who guides the Sanctum, gave its tacit consent through silence. Now, after untold bloodshed, a military net is closing in around the fleeing l'Cie, driven by the clamoring of a panicked and angry populace. The Only Way Is Up Lightning and the others are now cursed l'Cie. If they don't complete the Focus given to them by the fal'Cie, they are destined to become mindless Cie'th. But how can they complete a Focus that they don't understand? Their shared vision of the great beast Ragnarok laying waste to their world is their only clue. That, and the fact that Pulse l'Cie are held to be the mortal enemies of Cocoon... Could their Focus really be to orchestrate the destruction of their own home? Snow doesn't believe so. He believes their task is to fulfill Serah's parting wish by keeping Cocoon safe. After all, wasn't she a l'Cie, just like them? His shaky logic only serves to infuriate Lightning, who holds him responsible for her sister's fate. Their confrontation is cut short by the arrival of their Sanctum pursuers. Having made their escape, Lightning and the others pass through the ruins of a city damaged several centuries ago in the war with Pulse. Admist the rubble, they happen upon an airship which they board in the hope of finally shaking the relentless army. Snow, meanwhile, remains behind with the crystallized Serah... The Twin Sisters There is no doubt in Snow's mind. They may be Pulse l'Cie, but there is no way they can be enemies of Cocoon. Serah's last words before she turned to crystal are proof enough for him that their Focus is to defeat Ragnarok and protect their world. Snow stays behind to defend his trapped fiancée after Lightning and the others decide to continue onward. Brought to his knees by wave after wave of PSICOM soldiers during a protracted battle, the desperate young man is suddenly overcome by a strange phenomenon. The Twin Sisters of Shiva, Stiria and Nix, appear before him in a blinding flash of light. They easily dispatch the remaining troops, and then turn on Snow. He manages to defeat the icy Eidolons, but is soon captured by an unfamiliar Sanctum unit. A striking woman accompanies the soldiers—a woman with a l'Cie brand. Meanwhile, try as they might, Lightning's group cannot shake their determined pursuers. Crippled by enemy fire, their airship plummets towards the ground... Chapter 4 Nothing but Grief Their airship damaged during the escape from the army, the l'Cie are forced to make a crash landing in the Vile Peaks. Accustomed to the rigors of conflict, Lightning immediately sets off to outdistance any pursuit, trailed by Hope. Exhausted and on the brink of despair, Sazh cannot bring himself to follow. He knows the army will never stop chasing them. And even if they do somehow evade capture, they face transformation into Cie'th. How can they complete a Focus they don't understand? Despite the futility of the situation, Sazh cannot leave Vanille to fend for herself, and he forces his reluctant legs to carry him onward. Far ahead of the others, Lightning recalls a conversation with her old superior, Lieutenant Amodar, in which he had warned her not to get involved with anything connected to the lowerworld. She, of course, subsequently chose not to heed his warning, and after confronting the Pulse fal'Cie found herself branded a l'Cie. Now, anger smolders within her. Anger at her transformation into a l'Cie, anger at being forced to flee like a fugitive, and anger at herself for allowing it all to happen. I Wanna Be Purged The Sanctum announces that the Pulse fal'Cie and any civilians who may have come into contact with its influence are to be deported to the world below. Knowing that Serah is being held by the offending creature, Lightning reasons that the only way to reach her sister before they are exiled is to board the train and be Purged herself. After coming to this conclusion, she acts without hesitation. She knows the risks, but there are some things you just have to do... As Hope listens to Lightning's tale, he begins to realize how different they are. He knows he doesn't have the strength to charge into certain danger, even if he has no other choice. Unable to keep up with the battle-hardened soldier, Hope falls into despair. Meanwhile, Sazh and Vanille fight their way along a different route. Like Lightning, Sazh had joined the Purge voluntarily, but now he simpl acts as fear and despair prompt him, his former resolve seemingly forgotten. Hope and Despair As a resident of Palumpolum, Hope should never have been a candidate for the Purge. The radical government policy only concerns the inhabitants of the town of Bodhum. Unfortunately for Hope and his mother, the Sanctum announces the Purge on the day they are visiting the coastal community—and the Sanctum soldiers rounding up the deportees make no distinction between locals and visitors. Later, at the Hanging Edge, Hope's mother is killed in the violence which erupts when the true nature of the Purge is revealed. This indirectly leads to Hope's encounter with the Pulse fal'Cie, and transformation into a cursed l'Cie. Now, he rails against his cruel fate. He curses the government that started the Purge, the fal'Cie who made him a l'Cie, the army that hunts him like a criminal... But most of all, he chokes on the hatred he feels for Snow—the man responsible for dragging his mother into the battle that claimed her life. Sazh wants to help Hope return home to his father. The boy shows little enthusiasm for a family reunion, but Sazh is insistent. He knows how it feels to be a dad. Taking in the Trash The War of Transgression—the conflict between Pulse and Cocoon. A towering wreck is all that remains of a lowerworld airship show down during the battle that took place centuries before... At that time, forces from Pulse attempted to invade Cocoon only to be repelled by the efforts of the Sanctum fal'Cie—though not before the invaders had rent a great wound in the floating world's shell. Though Sanctum fal'cie subsequently repaired the damage using debris from the surface of their routed enemies' planet, the psychological wounds inflicted by the conflict are evident even now in the Cocoon citizen's unreasoning fear of all things Pulse. And reminders of the lowerworld threat still remain. Mechanical terrors brought in with the debris replace their rusting parts and wander the area, while government troops struggle to contain them. The Pulse fal'Cie buried in Bodhum may have arrived in the same fashion, sleeping away the years until its eventual discovery. With lowerworld terrors lurking in every shadow, Sazh creeps forward, doing his best to shield Vanille and Hope... Fugitives in Futility Lightning says little of her feelings, but Sazh senses her frustration. Despite braving the dangers of the Purge and the Vestige in an effort to save her sister, Lightning was helpless to prevent Serah's transformation into crystal. Now she is forced to flee as a fugitive—a Pulse l'Cie and hated enemy of Cocoon. And then there is their Focus. If they don't complete the task they have yet to figure out, they face transformation into mindless Cie'th. Should the fulfill their Focus, eternal crystal slumber is the only reward. And should they stop too long to ponder their fate, they risk capture and execution at the hands of the relentless Sanctum army. All roads seem to lead to despair—something Sazh understands only too well. The question is: will Lightning help them find a way out of their hopeless situation? Unbeknownst to Sazh, the answer has already begun to form in her mind... Eden or Bust Lightning makes a decision. The Pulse fal'Cie transformed her and Serah into l'Cie. The Sanctum fal'Cie, Eden, directs the army hunting her down. Pulse or Sanctum, 'fal'Cie' means on thing to Lightning: an enemy responsible for ruining their lives. A clear-cut enemy is something she can deal with. Having a target is something she can understand. The former soldier means to infiltrate the Sanctum capital, and take out the fal'Cie Eden. She knows her plan is reckless. It could be disastrous for Coccoon, and flies in the face of Serah's last wish. It could even end in battle against Snow, who will do anything to save Cocoon. But it is the only path that will satisfy her rage. Sazh and Vanille oppose her idea, but Hope embraces the opportunity. This is his chance to grow stronger and finally confront Snow. Lightning is done running away. Now she runs forward, her mind set on toppling the Sanctum. But even Lightning cannot foresee how this journey will end... Thunderous Hooves Hope makes a choice to fight alongside Lightning, but quickly finds himself exhausted by the pace. Lightning grows ever more agitated. Their enemy is the Sanctum army. She cannot afford to look after the straggling Hope while she faces such a dangerous foe. Losing all patience, Lightning curses his weakness and tries to leave him behind. In that moment, her l'Cie brand burns with radiant pain. As if to strike down obstacles in Lightning's path, the Eidolon Odin appears and attacks the bewildered Hope. Lightning moves without thinking. She blocks the deadly blade aimed at the boy she meant to abandon moments before. Lightning defeats Odin, and brings the entity under her command. Why did the Eidolon appear in the first place? There is no answer to her question, but one thing is certain: she no longer wishes to leave Hope to survive on his own. Loathing and Fear Sazh and Vanille decide against joining Lightning in her vendetta against the Sanctum, though doing so leaves them without a road to follow. It seems all they can do is keep running. And then there is Hope to worry about. But he'll surely grow tired of the fighting and make his way home—won't he? Sazh also harbors another fear: with the entirety of Cocoon in an uproar over the recent Pulse activity, any incident involving l'Cie could spark a full-scale panic. After all, not even Sazh can shake his dread of the lowerworld. If Cocoon is to know peace, he argues, l'Cie like them all need to die. Even as the words pass his lips, he immediately regrets giving voice to such sentiments, suddenly aware of his companion's feelings on the matter. But Vanille just smiles bravely, and urges Sazh to keep on moving. They have to stay ahead of the army if they want to survive. Cold, Hard Fact As Lightning and the others make their way through the Vile Peaks, Snow is escorted aboard the airship Lindblum after his capture at Lake Bresha. His captors are members of the Wide-area Response Brigade, otherwise known as the 'Cavalry.' The Cavalry is not directly involved with the Purge or the tracking down of l'Cie. Nevertheless, their commander, Brigadier General Raines, calmly explains the reasons behind the Sanctum and PSICOM operations, and their plans to hold a public execution. If the l'Cie are killed in plain sight of the populace, he asserts, the panic threatening the stability of their society will be defused. Are Raines and the Cavalry also tools of the Sanctum? And who is the woman who works with them? Isn't she a Pulse l'Cie and enemy of Cocoon? Full of questions and unsure of his captors' motives, Snow recalls another time when he felt this powerless—a time when one cold fact robbed him of the strength to stand. It was the moment he learned that his beloved Serah was a Pulse l'Cie. Separate Paths If l'Cie were machines, they would seek to complete any Focus without question. But l'Cie are human. And no human willingly desires the slavery imposed by a fal'Cie. Sazh and Vanille support each other in their desperate flight. What is their Focus? They are scared to even contemplate the answer to that question. Snow, by contrast, chooses to pursue his objective without hesitation, not because he wants to obey the fal'Cie, but because it is Serah's wish. He believes without the slightest shred of doubt that his Focus is to protect Cocoon. Lightning and Hope, meanwhile, choose to fight. They turn their anger against an unjust fate and a world hostile to their very existence. On their way to Eden at the very heart of Cocoon, Lightning and Hope prepare to enter a military-controlled zone... Chapter 5 A Strategy for Change Rejecting the fate chosen for her by the fal'Cie and set on exacting revenge on her cold-blooded government, Lightning enters the Gapra Whitewood along with Hope. It seems they've managed to lose their PSICOM trackers, but the Whitewood is a Sanctum military zone, and their chances of encountering hostile units are high. Yet what choice do they have? It's the only road that leads to the Sanctum capital. Lightning now intends to fight on Hope's behalf after Odin's appearance forces her to rethink her decision to leave the boy behind. But she isn't the only one to have had a change of heart. Having relied on Lightning for protection from the beginning, Hope resolves not to flinch from danger, choosing instead to put himself squarely in the line of fire. Sensing the shift in his attitude, Lightning entrusts the lead to her young companion. Weapon of Choice? Take the lead of his own free will, Hope precedes Lightning into the depths of the Gapra Whitewood. He needs to be stronger. Hope joins Lightning in her fight against the Sanctum because he thinks the experience of battle will toughen him up. He cannot show fear. He cannot show weakness. If he does, he's afraid Lightning will decide to go on without him again. So, even if it is a lie, he puts on a brave face, and pushes his terror aside. Seeing that he is struggling to control his fear, Lightning gives Hope a knife in an attempt to boost his confidence. The Price of Vanity A Woodlands Observation Battalion patrol passes by. Strangely enough, the soldiers don't appear to be looking for intruders. From her own experience as a soldier, Lightning realizes why: these troops still don't know about the l'Cie fugitives. PSICOM, wishing to cover their failure to exterminate them in the Vile Peaks, is suppressing information. As an elite unit under direct command of the Sanctum, PSICOM has its reputation to consider. That pride has left a hole in the security net for Lightning and Hope to sneak through. It seems their journey through the Gapra Whitewood will be easier than expected. After all the ill fortune that has befallen them so far, they're certainly due some luck... No Rules Thanks to PSICOM's reluctance to share intelligence, the security level of the Gapra Whitewood is comparatively low. Now that they have a little space to breathe, Lightning and Hope ponder the fates of their fellow l'Cie. Sazh and Vanille must still be on the run. And who knows how Snow must be faring? Out of the blue, Hope asks Lightning why Snow's gang calls itself NORA. Though puzzled by his sudden interest, Lightning supplies him with the answer: it's an acronym that stands for 'No Obligations, Rules, or Authority.' They wish to live without restrictions, she explains, though some might argue that what they really wish to live without is responsibility. Hope's face darkens at this explanation. Spurred by his agitation, he hurries onwards through the waiting gate. Where's an enemy when you need one? He needs an outlet for the anger that suddenly threatens to consume him. Of Revenge and Regret Lightning learns the reason for Hope's animosity towards Snow: his mother's death during the chaos of the Purge. Believing the responsibility to lie with the NORA leader, the grief-stricken boy has been feeding his rage ever since. Hope's motivation for joining Lightning in her vendetta is to experience battle and grow strong enough to challenge Snow. The blade in Hope's hand shines brightly. Will the gift Lightning gave him to boost his confidence become the instrument of his revenge? The weapon Hope stares at so intently awakens memories in his companion. On Lightning's birthday, Serah confessed to her sister that she had become a Pulse l'Cie. Not willing to believe the story, Lightning pushed Serah away with disdainful words. By the time she discovered that Serah had been telling the truth, it was too late... Now the knife is all she has left of her sister—a birthday gift, and symbol of unbearable regret. Operation Nora Category:Final Fantasy Series Category:Role Playing Games Category:PlayStation 3 Games Category:Xbox 360 Games Category:Games By Square Enix Category:2010's-2020's Games